ceiling at some point. of course we're going to have to until we get to the point where we have balanced budgets and don't have to continue to run deficit spending. and by the way, i don't think that it's desirable or optimal to cross into that threshold where we are living under the rules of prioritization, because it's very disruptive to not be paying all the other bills on time, as we ought to. that's much better. but my point is there is something even more important here, and that is to fundamentally bring our spending and deficits under control. trillion-dollar deficits, a total debt that now exceeds the total economic output of our country. this is -- we have got a disastrous fiscal situation on our hands. it's right now costing us jobs, costing us economic growth today, and it's guaranteed to result in a full-blown fiscal crisis and a meltdown if we don't change the path we're on. the only time we have ever been able to persuade this president to agree to significant spending reductions was the last